Discover the irresistible picture books of renowned author, poet, singer/songwriter, and performer Eric Ode! Explore his picture books, read an interview with the author, and download free coloring pages, activities, and resources.
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About the author: Eric Ode (pronounced Oh-dee) is a national award-winning children's singer/songwriter, a widely published author and poet, and a thoroughly engaging entertainer. His upbeat, high-participation programs are bubbling over with fun, interactive music and include stories, skits, poetry, props and puppets. A former elementary classroom and middle school English teacher with a Masters Degree in Educational Technology, Eric has been invited to share his music and poetry programs with schools, community festivals, and libraries throughout the United States, in Germany, Japan, and in Guam. |
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HOORAY, IT'S GARBAGE DAY!
Illustrated by Gareth Llewhellin 
"It's a good lesson in recycling and cleanup,
as well as just plain fun." -- Booklist " ... the jaunty, rollicking rhymes will keep children entertained, and they will merrily chime in with the refrain: 'Hooray, it's GARBAGE DAY!'" -- Kirkus Reviews |
STOP THAT POEM!
Illustrated by Jieting Chen 
"An ingenious, inspiring lesson in the crafting of poetry."
-- Kirkus Reviews "Aspiring poets should be encouraged in their creativity by this lilting 'ode' (pun on the author’s name intended) to the challenge and joy of getting a poem just right." -- The Horn Book |
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DAN, THE TAXI MAN
Illustrated by Kent Culotta 
"Noisy fun, with a strong beat and a narrative pattern that even younger audiences will have no trouble catching."
-- Kirkus Reviews "…a rockin' good time." -- Booklist Online |
interview with eric ode
In addition to being a children’s book author, what else are you known for?
I’m the father of two amazing adult children, and I can brew a really good cup of coffee! But that’s maybe not what you mean. I’m also a children’s singer and songwriter and love the process of writing lyrics. When I’m providing author visits for schools, I bring my guitar, and we set aside plenty of time for music. Sometimes we even write songs together.
How did you come to write children’s books?
I was an elementary classroom teacher for a dozen years. We used a lot of poetry in the classroom, poems by some of the best – Valerie Worth, Judith Viorst, Nikki Giovanni, Robert Frost, A.A. Milne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Shel Silverstein... I’d go to the library and empty the 811 shelves. Being exposed to all of that amazing poetry made me want to try my own hand at writing poems, just to see if I could write anything nearly as beautiful and creative. So, my first publishing successes were in poetry, getting poems published in magazines and anthologies. It took me a bit before I tried my hand at writing children’s books.
Which children’s books from your childhood have had a lasting influence on you?
My mom was wonderful about reading to us when we were growing up. I cut my teeth on Dr. Seuss like just about everyone else. I remember being fascinated by the illustrations from Lynd Ward’s The Biggest Bear. And I loved that that story took place in a world so far outside of the suburban world I knew. My sister and I each had a red and white checkered record player, and I had a number of audio books on record (Yes, I’m that old.) that I could listen to while following along in the bound book, including Robert McCloskey’s Lentil. I still consider that story to be one of the best children’s books ever written.
What is the best thing about being a children’s book author?
Just knowing that something you’ve written is being read by a child or is being read to a child is the greatest honor. And getting to visit schools and libraries and work with and play with kids is simply terrific fun!
What’s the most challenging thing about your profession?
Well, it’s not the process of coming up with new ideas – those initial sparks. Those are all over the place, just waiting to be discovered. Maybe for me, the challenge is consciously making the time to struggle with those ideas – to do the hard work of forming them into something worthwhile. I can get as easily distracted as anyone. And I can get as easily discouraged. It takes faith and discipline to put the time and energy into the craft because I know that, for a while, it’s going to get really messy. There might even come a point in the process when I’ll believe that this story or poem or song or whatever will never come together. But there’s almost always something good waiting on the other side if we just stick with it.
What’s your favorite way to relax and spend personal time?
A good walk and a good book.
What do you like best about where you live?
We are out here in a groovy little maritime community on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. There are some drawbacks. It takes time to get just about anywhere. But my wife and I take long walks on the beach at least several times every week. We watch sea lions and river otters. The shore birds are constantly changing with the seasons. The town is filled with music (I play piano in a jazz quartet, and we gig several times a month at various spots in town) and art and very kind people doing their own thing.
You’ve had several books published with Kane Miller, the first being Dan, the Taxi Man. What inspired you to write this long-time favorite?
Wow, thank you! Kent Culotta did such wonderful work with those illustrations. He truly brought those characters to life! That story actually began as a spoken-word piece that I was using when providing community concerts. I do a lot of concerts in city parks during the summers. I use movement songs and call-and-response songs and hand motion songs… I wanted to mix things up a bit, create a spot where I could put down the guitar and everyone would participate in something like a story chant. It worked really well in that form. At some point, I decided that, with some tweaking, it could make for a good picture book. I was thrilled when the amazing people at Kane Miller Books agreed!
Which of your Kane Miller books is your favorite and why?
Oh, my. Is that even a fair question? Each of my Kane Miller titles is important to me in one way or another. Certainly Dan, the Taxi Man is ONE of my favorites as it was my first with the company and is so much fun to share with a group. It’s also the one I hear about from parents and caregivers most often, sometimes because it’s the book an older child chooses to read to a younger sibling or because it’s the first book their child pretends to read – a crucial first step in the reading process.
Have you ever met any of the illustrators of your books?
I had the great pleasure of meeting Kent Culotta (Dan, the Taxi Man; Busy Trucks on the Go; Tow Truck 1, 2, 3) when I was providing author visits for a number of schools in southern California. He is such a creative spirit! And I had the equally wonderful pleasure of meeting the brilliant Ruth Harper (Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails: Poems from the Wetlands) in a similar way. The people at Kane Miller Books do an amazing job in lining up the right illustrators for a project.
What do you hope young readers take away from reading your books?
I almost never set out with any sort of lesson in mind, although I’m always surprised to find some sort of lesson hiding in the stories when I look back later. There are lessons about the importance of working together and supporting each other and celebrating differences and having faith in yourself. But truthfully, my greatest hope is that the book will simply be enjoyed – that it might help build in some child a life-long love of reading.
What words of advice would you share with aspiring young writers and artists?
Read! Read and read and read some more! Read books that spark for you. Read books that challenge you. And then write. And write. Do the hard work of finding the voice that sounds like the authentic you. Write to please yourself – to make yourself smile.
TEACHER TIPS, COLORING PAGES, AND ACTIVITIES
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STOP THAT POEM!
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DAN, THE TAXI MAN
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BUSY TRUCKS ON THE GO
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DAN, THE TAXI MAN
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TOW TRUCK 1, 2, 3
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TOW TRUCK 1, 2, 3
CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK ACTIVITY PAGE |
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